Bansko Ski resort is perfect for weekend skiing and the beers are £1 a pint

Some things haven’t changed here in decades. Central heating is still wood-fired — bent-double babas (grandmothers) brave the cold to collect logs stacked outside their homes. And we quickly learnt to shut the garden gate, as stray dogs, cattle or horses are prone to wander in from nearby fields.

But some things have changed. There’s a new thermal spa by the river, a few hotels and one magnificent hearty Macedonian restaurant — more on that later — while on the edge of town sits Pirin Chalet, an eight-bed home with an outdoor hot tub, cosy fireplace and balcony with views of the nearby mountain range.

Having booked on TripAdvisor Rentals from under £24pppn, we were met by Labrador Jack and Natasha Bamford. She and husband Douglas moved from the UK to Bulgaria 12 years ago to build a dream home, then set up chaletbansko.com and Bamro Property Management to help others rent properties.

Book their family home and they’ll sort everything from airport transfers to restaurant tables. There’s even a welcome hamper of breakfast ingredients and other essentials.

You can reach some runs from Dobrinishte but the best bet is a cheap cab ride into Bansko. Hop on the high-speed gondola and you’re looking down on Bansko in minutes.

It’s more outdoor lido than high-end spa but nothing banishes the aches of the slopes like warm water, cold beer and falling snow. For dinner Natasha suggested we try out a mehana, a sort of traditional inn, the best of which was Makedonska Kruchma, or the Macedonian Pub, down the road.

As well as a country next door, Macedonia is a historical region that includes part of Greece and Pirin Madedonia, the south-western corner of Bulgaria that Bansko is in.

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EASTER TRAVEL

The Macedonian Pub is a stone-walled structure built like a fortress. There are deer’s-feet coat hooks and brass kitchenware-covered walls, and meat is cooked on open hearths by your table.

There’s Macedonian folk music and dancing on a Saturday night, while the food is fantastic. Shopska salad, steamed potatoes with garlic and dill, parlenka — a flatbread with cheese, olives or garlic — cuts of hearth-cooked steak and the local spirit, rakia.

Stumbling back to the villa, we were all worn out but raring to do it all again.